Sermon Tone Analysis

*Context: Paul’s Call for separation*

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*Text: 2 Corinthian 6 : 11-7v1 *

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*@ Nelson road on 20th July 2008

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*Introduction*

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This passage marks the end of the ‘long digression’ form 2:14–7:4, a lengthy part of the letter which has been devoted to ‘*ministry*’—the ‘ministry of the *new covenant*

 

In that this new covenant presents the terms by which we can be *reconciled* with God, because of Jesus and His work for us

 

Is therefore fitting that as we get to these verses the man who spent much of his time pleading with men and women to be reconciled with God should conclude his argument with a an attempt to practice what he preached.

There was no longer closeness between Paul and his friends at Corinth, and he longed for things to be put back on the old footing

 

So Paul concludes this part of the letter, with a twofold appeal to the Corinthians—to be reconciled to him and to separate themselves from *over-close involvement with ‘unbelievers’.*

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*A) It’s a two way thing!*

Paul starts by saying *“O Corinthians”!

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Paul has spent enough time laying down the principles.

Now he makes a pointed appeal to the Corinthian Christians, based on the depth and passion in his heart

Paul does not often refer to his readers by name after he has done so in his opening greeting but when he does, we can see that *this reflects his feelings for them*

He hardly needed to tell them how wide open his heart and that of Timothy was towards them, because they have been mad aware of it:

* As he wrote of his sufferings (1:3–11)

* And  explain why he has not yet re–visited them (1:12–2:5)

* And  showed his attitude to the man who has caused trouble (2:611)

* And as he  revealed what makes him ‘tick’ in his ministry (2:12–6:10)

 

*He has been remarkably frank.*

He has simply opened his heart and *shown them what his feelings are.*

In modern parlance, he *has worn his heart on his sleeve and* in so doing has shown how deep, is his love for them

When Paul says you are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections is probably means that the Corinthian Christians were playing the “victim” before Paul.

He had, out of godly necessity, been firm with them on previous occasions (1 Corinthians 4:18-21, 2 Corinthians 1:23).

Now, they are probably claiming to be restricted *by the “hurt” Paul has caused them*.

They were probably saying, “We would love to reconcile with you Paul, but the pain you caused us restricts us.

We just can’t get over it.”

*But the real problem was* that the Corinthian Christians were restricted by [their] own affections.

It wasn’t that Paul did not love them enough (which was their claim as “victims”).

It was that they loved too much!

Their own affections were restricting them.

* What did they love too much?

First, they loved the world too much, and Paul will deal with that love in following verses.

But they also loved themselves too much, and refused to really deal with their selfish, worldly attitudes towards Paul.

Paul had revealed his true feelings for the Corinthian believers -- he and his coworkers were not withholding [their] affection from them.

The Corinthian church however, was *reacting coldly to Paul.*

They criticized his preaching (11:6; 1 Cor 2:1-4), his writing (1:13), and his demeanor among them (10:9-10).

Therefore Paul confronted the Corinthians for withholding their affections.

They had let suspicions and misconceptions ruin their relationship with Paul.

Instead of accepting him, they were becoming mean-spirited and hard-hearted.

But Paul wants to see the same self-searching honesty in the Corinthian Christians that he has just displayed to them.

They had to do this to bring about reconciliation.

The rift between Paul and the Corinthian church could be healed, *but it was in the hands of the Corinthian Christians to do it.

They had to also be open.*

In verse 13, Paul employs the kind of playful logic that might be used in a family situation, and he does this because he is like a father to them (cf. 1 Cor.

4:14–16; 1 Thess.

2:11–12).

There is no doubt that to lead others to Christ can set up a special kind of bonding, the same kind of bonding that a parents feels for a child

*So He says, in effect, ‘It's only right for you to open your hearts to me when I have opened mine to you.’*

Paul wants to see the same self-searching honesty in the Corinthian Christians that he has just displayed to them.

They had to do this to bring *about reconciliation*.

The rift between Paul and the Corinthian church could be healed, but it was in the hands of the Corinthian Christians to do it.*

They had to also be open.*

The phase *Do not be yoked together with unbelievers* (verse 14) is the key to the whole section.

All that follows relates back to this *negative demand.*

It is a simple metaphor based on Deuteronomy 22:10, which forbade the yoking of ox and ass together, suggesting that ‘the Christian is a *different breed* from the unbeliever and is forbidden an improper relationship with him’

There is no call here, as is often claimed, for Christian to separate from Christian for doctrinal or ethical reasons.

Neither is Paul requiring a wholesale separation from unbelievers.

If a Christian is married to an unbeliever the believer should not seek divorce.

If invited to the home of an unbeliever he is free to attend.

Unbelievers were not forbidden to attend the Christian meetings.

Indeed, as Paul writes earlier, total separation from sinners would necessitate going ‘out of the world’ altogether.

But there are different ideas on what it means

* It is a specific call to avoid pagan temple worship

* It is a specific call to separate form those who are against Paul

* The exhortation here is a general call to believers to seriously think about all the close relationships  they have with unbelievers

 

But whatever the underlining reason was, was affecting their reconciliation with Paul

 

And surely it applies to any situation where we let the world influence our thinking.

When we are being *conformed to this world* and are *not being transformed *by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), we are joining together with unbelievers in an ungodly way.

The change of tone here is certainly very noticeable, but it is altogether consistent with Paul's assertion of his deep affection for the Corinthians.

After all, real love, as distinct from its sentimentalized counterfeit, is always deeply *concerned for the highest good of the one it loves ,* and that good for God's people is holiness, likeness to Christ (Rom.

8:28, 29).

The Law of Moses was much *more compassionate than many tend to think*.

There was a very valid reason to forbid the yoking together of an ox and an ass

 

The unequal pairing would have been *painful and perhaps injurious* to the animals and moreover would have produced very poor furrowing.

The principle here is about *being in the world, but not of the world*, like a ship should be in the water, but water shouldn’t be in the ship!

We all like to believe that we can be around ungodly things as much as we want, and that we are strong enough to ward off the influence.

But that is not the case, Gods word says Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Or as the ESV says: Do not be deceived:” Bad company ruins good morals."

It needs to come back to the simple question from Romans 12:2: are we being conformed to this world or are we being transformed by the renewing of your mind?

The Corinthian Christians were thinking like worldly people, *not like godly people.

And this can be seen in there attitude towards Paul *

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They gained this way of looking at life – or at least stayed in it *– because of their ungodly associations*.

Paul tells them to break those yokes of fellowship with the ungodly!

A farmer troubled by a flock of crows in his corn field, loaded his shotgun and crawled unseen along the fence-row, determined to get a shot at the crows.

Now the farmer had a very "sociable" parrot that made friends with everybody.

Seeing the flock of crows, the parrot flew over and joined them (just being sociable, you know).

The farmer saw the crows but didn't see the parrot.

He took careful aim and BANG!

The farmer crawled over the fence to pick up the fallen crows, and lo, there was his parrot - badly ruffled, with a broken wing, but still alive.

Tenderly, the farmer carried the parrot home, where his children met him.

Seeing that their pet was injured, they tearfully asked, "What happened, Papa?"  Before he could answer, the parrot spoke up: "BAD COMPANY

 

That was the problem

 

*B) It’s a two different ways *

Paul now gives a series of *five rhetorical questions*.

The five rhetorical questions are set out in balanced pairs, and each requiring a negative reply, are now asked.

The point of each question is that God’s people *are to be distinct and separate* from the characteristic beliefs and practices of unbelievers.

* Taken together these questions reinforce the basic incompatibility between righteousness, light, Christ, being a believer, and the temple of God on the one hand

* And wickedness, darkness, Belial, being an unbeliever, and idols on the other.

The fact that in 6:14 “righteousness” is contrasted with “wickedness”  demonstrates once again that for Paul “righteousness” is a concept that includes both one’s relationship with God in Christ *and its outworking in a life of “light” (6:14c) as a “believer*” (6:15b).

Here “light” is not a mystical concept, *but a moral designation* that refers to the new life of obedience to God, engendered by trusting in Christ and enabled by the power of the Spirit.

The fact couplet referring to the temple *is significance.*